Evgeni Malkin helped from ice after brutal collision on end boards in Detroit

What was already an eventfulnight in Detroit became significantly more eventful in the third period: Pittsburgh Penguins star Evgeni Malkin injured his left leg in a violent collision with the end boards, and needed to be helped off the ice.

Malkin was tangled with Detroit Red Wings forward Luke Glendening in the Penguins’ defensive zone. He reached around Glendening with his arm and then awkwardly spun around him, sliding into the boards skates-first.

Malkin’s left ankle appeared to smack the wall with some momentous force, as you can see in the following clip:

Scary scene as Malkin attempted to skate off but collapsed to the ice when he attempted to put weight on his left leg. Pittsburgh, incidentally, won the game, 4-1.

Malkin underwent surgery on this right knee in 2011, after tearing his ACL and his MCL. That too was an injury on the end boards, on a Tyler Myers hit.

We’ll update Malkin’s status when it comes in the postgame. Yahoo Sports’ Nick Cotsonika reports he was walking normally after the game. The Penguins, and some hockey officials back in Russia, are obviously holding their breath.